Because passing this bond means higher-still property taxes for some Marion and Polk county residents come October.

Taxes already increase most years to the capped 3 percent due to Measure 50. But the line items for Salem-Keizer Public Schools and the city of Salem are going to grow collectively this fall.

That’s because none of the school district’s or city’s current bond measures have reached maturity and will not be retired to give taxpayers a little breathing room. The school district has two 30-year bonds that will expire in tax years 2028-2029 and 2039-2040 respectively.

But the district has done its homework.

Through numerous citizen task force and school board meetings, polls and staff meetings, it pared down its original proposed bond measure of $766 million to its current $619.7 million, which it estimates will cost an estimated $1.24 more per $1,000 of assessed value.

Put another way, homes assessed at the average price of the Mid-Valley’s Multiple Listing Service of $292,000, will pay $362 more per year on the new 20-year bond.

This doesn’t take into account the district’s other two bonds and what Nathaniel Combs, Marion County’s Chief Deputy Assessor, calls the schools’ permanent tax rate. This is a school funding mechanism that can’t be changed annually.

The new police facility bond passed in May 2017 increases taxes for Salem residents by 26 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. A homeowner with an assessed value home price of $292,000 will pay $75 more per year for the new 115,000-square-foot police headquarters being built north of downtown.

And finally, there’s the library bond to upgrade the Salem Public Library with security and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. It will add 12 cents to every $1,000 of assessed value, which means that a $292,000 home will have its taxes raised $35 annually.

Add the three together, and property tax bills for that average Salem home will be $472 higher on those three measures alone.

That’s not just a cup of coffee, as some have suggested. It’s a chunk of change, and we understand that not everyone can support it because their pockets aren't as deep as some assume.

Nevertheless, the editorial board supports the school levy and believes deferred maintenance and capacity issues need to be dealt with now.